How can crooked teeth be detrimental to one's health?

How can I fix my teeth / gum problems?

• I've been to many dentists and got deep cleaning done, there was a little bone loss on one tooth. I have chosen my current dentist as she is the only one to give my gums deep cleaning / scaling. Now I brush twice a day, no sugary drinks I gave up smoking long long ago. Today I decided I would keep up with my oral health and began to floss between every tooth, especially the ones that I have trouble flossing. I brushed my teeth thoroughly then when I went to floss between the trouble teeth the floss slid down and sliced my gums bad :( very bad it has been an hour and I only just looked. I am flossing properly I've been shown many times, I've watched online. How can I get all this build up on my teeth off? And floss between crowded teeth? And prevent periodontal disease?

• Answer:

  Hi there ~ You know, for various physiological reasons, some people just seem to have more of a problem with plaque and calculus than others. Unfortunately, you seem to be one of those people; you're just going to have to work a little harder at your home care than others. I know you say that you know how to floss, and I believe you, but indulge my OCD because I'm going to go through that again. Follow these instructions: You need to make sure you are brushing effectively. You use a SOFT toothbrush only, and aim it at the gumline at a 45 degree angle. Make sure some of the bristles get into the crevice between the tooth and gum. (So yes, you DO brush where your gums and teeth meet). Use little vibratory strokes, and then sweep the brush up toward the biting surface. Go around your whole mouth like this - don't forget the tongue side of the teeth. Don't scrub back and forth - except on the biting surface of the back teeth. Again, to your question - the MOST important spot to brush is that area just where the teeth and gums come together, as you must get the bristles GENTLY into the space between them, as this is where all the plaque is. Flossing: Take a length of floss and wrap it around your 2 middle fingers. Hold about a 2" piece tight between your forefingers and thumbs. Insert the floss gently against a tooth side, then curve your hands so that the floss is making a letter "C" shape against the tooth. Keeping the floss always in contact with the tooth, move it up and down, making sure you GENTLY floss under the gumline. To move to the adjacent tooth, bring the floss up and OVER the little pink triangle of gum, slide to a fresh section of floss, and bring it against the next tooth surface, and repeat. You should never snap the floss down hard, and never "saw" back and forth. A good floss for crowded teeth is called Satin Floss, or you can try Glide. Stay away from unwaxed if your teeth are so crowded. It has been clinically proven that waxed and unwaxed floss clean as well as each other. Continue around your whole mouth like this. When you get to the back teeth, it's going to be very hard to curve the floss - but that's ok, just do the best you can. If you ever feel like it's going to get stuck in the contact or shred, then just pull it through, like you'd pull thread through a needle eye. I have confidence that you can clean every tooth, and every surface of every tooth effectively. I'm giving you 2 links below - one shows correct brushing, the other is a great site for flossing instruction (yes, I know, but humor me). In the meanwhile, you can use a little warm salt water rinsing for your cut on the gums. ***Hope this helped!~